The Return
by EverAfterGirl
Summary: Cody Griffin returns home after a summer at sea. Thirteenth year fanfic. Currently a oneshot. That might change.
Hey guys, it's been a while. I needed a study a break and in light of Disney's DCOM marathon, I thought it'd be fun to write something for one of my favorite DCOMs. I'm not sure if this is gonna stay a oneshot or not, but that all depends on if inspiration strikes.

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That summer had been an adventure that Cody would never forget. It had been like something out of movie, and he knew there would be no easy way to explain it to anyone who hadn't lived it. However, he knew he needed to find the words fast, as it was time to go home.

It had been months since he'd seen his parents. It had been nice to get to know his birth mother, but it wasn't the same. He'd missed his family from the moment he left the shore.

What would it be like, seeing them again? A lot could change in almost no time at all. Cody knew that well. He wondered if their lives had been different since he'd been gone. What if they'd been better off without him and his condition? Would they really want him to bring back all the weirdness of his situation?

He knew in his gut they loved him no matter what, and he could bet that they had missed him terribly. Yet, it was hard to shake that nagging feeling.

He had been swimming for hours. As soon as he'd gotten the okay to return home, he'd taken off. He laughed to himself as he imagined his swim team learning how many miles he'd gone that day. It would smash every record in the books.

Cody had initially planned to go to the beach he'd frequented as a human, but he feared being spotted. Instead, he'd changed his direction and headed for the dock where Mr. Wheatley kept his boat.

He'd spent the last hour contemplating how to get in contact with his family when he arrived, and decided it would be easier to find Jess first. His friend spent most of his time near the water, despite his dislike of swimming. He would easiest to catch alone.

So Cody drew near to the docks and waited. And waited. He felt his excitement start to dull as the minutes ticked by. This was not the grand entrance he'd imagined.

Eventually, he saw movement near the Wheatley boat. He squinted, focusing in on the figure. It was too small to be Mr. Wheatley…so that meant it had to be Jess. He smiled and slipped under water, excited to surprise his friend.

He swam up to the edge of the dock and looked around. Sure enough, Jess was strolling along, head buried in a book as he walked. Cody waited until Jess was steps away to speak.

"Whatcha reading?" his voice sounded hoarse after so little use in the previous months.

Jess jumped, dropping the book into the water with a started exclamation. Cody grabbed it before it could sink and set it next to Jess's feet. He put his arms on the dock and pulled himself partially out of the water.

"CODY!" Jess's face broke into an ecstatic grin as he knelt down to give his friend a hug.

"Is the coast clear?" Cody asked.

Jess scanned the area before nodding.

Cody pulled himself onto the dock, tail hanging over the edge. The sun was beginning to set, and the coming darkness would soon help camouflage him. As he took in the surrounding boats, he let out a sigh of relief. It was nice to be home.

Jess was staring at him, expectantly. Cody knew he must have a thousand questions, and appreciated the uncharacteristic restraint his best friend was showing.

"Can you call my parents?" he asked.

Jess nodded, giving him one last grin before heading into his father's boat. He wasn't gone long – emerging only moments later, carrying a pile of towels. He dropped them at Cody's side.

"My dad's calling them for you. He thought you'd want to dry off."

Cody nodded his appreciation, swinging his tail up onto the dock. He grabbed one of the towels and began patting it dry. As he was drying off, Jess finally started firing off the questions he'd known were coming. He did his best to answer them all, without going too in depth. He had a feeling his parents would have the same questions and the idea of repeating everything seemed pointless.

He heard a quick set of footfalls across the way, and his heart rate went up. He tensed up, ready to leap back into the water before daring a glance at the new arrivals. He relaxed immediately, seeing his parents running towards him.

He saw the excitement and the happiness in their eyes and felt a weight lift of his shoulders. They had missed him after all. Seconds later he was enveloped in a huge hug that only ended when he protested they were crushing him.

"Oh, honey," his mother gushed, eyes brimming with tears.

Over her shoulder he saw his father roll his eyes and found himself laughing. It was good to know that some things never changed.

"Ready to go home, Cody?"

"You have no idea."

He dropped the towel he'd been using by his side and frowned. He was almost certain he'd dried off but the tail remained. Perhaps it would take longer to change back after spending so long in the sea.

"Can you guys give me a hand?" He asked awkwardly.

His parents took in the situation and comprehension dawned on them. There was no way Cody would be able to get the car himself in this state.

"Sharon," his dad said, slipping one of Cody's arms around his shoulder. "Come grab his other side. Jess, you're gonna have to grab his tail."

Cody had never felt more helpless in his life. The whole situation was just embarrassing, being carried by his parents and best friends to the car like a child. He grimaced as they set him down into one of the back seats and tried to find a way to sit comfortably. Everything that was once mundane to him now felt entirely foreign.

Jess slid into the seat next to him, and to his surprise, his parents didn't question it.

They drove home in silence, no one knowing how to break the ice. Cody stared out the window, reflecting on how much more colorful the world was on the surface.

"Garage," his mom instructed as they pulled into the driveway.

Obediently, his father parked the car in the garage, closing the door before getting out of the car. Cody realized it must be to avoid the eyes of the neighbors, and appreciated his mother's quick thinking.

Once more, he had to be carried into the house. They deposited him on the living room couch, taking seats around the room.

"We should call Sam!" Jess suggested, knowing the girl would want to know about Cody's return.

Cody smiled lightly at the thought of his crush, but shook his head. He gestured at his tail, saying, "Let's wait until _this_ goes away. Mom, can I borrow your hair dryer? I'd like to speed this up."

...

An hour later, Cody was dismayed to find that no matter how dry his skin became, he couldn't seem to change back. It was only when the scales began to curl and peel off in some places that his parents stopped him.

He saw a look pass between them and he groaned. He knew that look, he'd seen it multiple times growing up. It was the look that said they knew something and that something was bad news.

"What is it?"

A startled look flashed across his mother's face. She hadn't noticed him watching their exchange.

"Well, Cody," she began. "There isn't exactly a lot of research on this kind of thing, but how do we know the change wasn't permanent?"

Permanent. His stomach dropped the same way it did on thrill rides. He'd gotten used to feeling like a freak this last year, but he'd always believed he could slip back into his old life if he chose. What if that wasn't an option?

Jess entered the room and seeing his best friend's expression, offered him the glass he'd just gotten from the kitchen.

"Water?"

Cody grabbed on the pillows on the couch and pressed it over his face with an exaggerated groan.

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Let me know what you think!


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